Yellow Prairie Grass
SALE | SAVE 25%
SKU: AM021404
Shipping:
Shipping begins the week of March 17th, 2025
Overview
Yellow Prairie Grass is a resilient native grass species that supports birds, butterflies, and wildlife. Upright foliage emerges in spring, grows most vigorously in summer, and turns luminous gold in fall. Bronze flower panicles extend above the foliage on stiff upright stems in the late summer and fall. Yellow Prairie Grass was a dominant species of the tallgrass prairie that once covered large parts of the Midwest. Its deep fibrous roots make it resilient in rocky, clay, and sandy soil, great for erosion resistance, and very drought tolerant.
key features
Botanical Name
Sorghastrum nutans
Advantages
Native, Attracts Birds, Deer Resistant, Autumn Interest, Winter Interest, Mass Plantings, Privacy, Erosion Control
Growing Zones
Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9
Light Requirements
Full Sun
Soil Moisture
Dry, Average
Mature Height
3-8' tall
Mature Spread
12-24" wide
Bloom Time
Late summer to frost
SKU
AM021404
Description
Yellow Prairie Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) (formerly known as Indiangrass) is a warm-season bunchgrass native to most of Southern Canada and almost all of the United States except for the 5 most western states; it is most common in the Midwestern Plains of North America. It has a dense fibrous root systems that can reach up to seven feet deep or more, which helped build the rich prairie soils over thousands of years; these deep roots make Sorghastrum nutans especially good for erosion prevention drought-resistance. This grass can also tolerate poor, rocky, sandy, and clay soil. It does not do well in full shade, and it tends to open flop in moist, rich soils. It will self-seed and spread in optimum growing conditions. Cut this grass back to the ground in early spring just as new growth appears.
This native species provides excellent year-round habitat for birds and wildlife, nesting materials for bees, and offers seeds to feed songbirds. Yellow Prairie Grass also serves as a larval host to the Pepper-and-Salt Skipper butterfly. Yellow Prairie Grass is highly resistant to deer grazing.
